“Australians are some of the savviest shoppers in the world. In 2013, we predict that $20 billion worth of transactions will take place through the eBay app globally, 33 times more than the $600 million in 2009,” she said.

The report found that 62 per cent of Australians admit to having ‘shopaholic’ tendencies – that is, they can’t think of anything else until they’ve made a purchase, or they spend much of their time shopping.

However, while it may seem that these shopaholics can find their own way online, they are, in fact, still expecting high standards of customer service.

Almost 90 per cent of online shoppers in Australia admit to needing some form of help during the purchasing process.

A report on online shopping trends by LivePerson found that 90 per cent of consumers find real-time help useful, while 60 per cent would like to have a live chat feature made available.

LivePerson’s Dustin Dean said this means businesses must ensure they’re putting effort into customer service across every channel.

“Research shows that regardless of channel, customers want personalised and speedy assistance for a more seamless buying experience. Providing the same intuitive and high-touch in-store experience in digital channels can also prove to be a serious competitive advantage for businesses,” he said.

Almost 70 per cent of shoppers abandon online purchases due to unexpected costs, while 59 per cent cited lack of information about a product, service, or delivery as a reason for not buying.

Other key reasons for not making a purchase included navigation difficulties (52 per cent), not being able to find the answer to a question (44 per cent), and difficulty in getting help on a website (36 per cent).

“More so than ever, today’s consumers demand instant gratification, and a speedy resolution of issues is becoming a key differentiator for good customer service among Australian consumers,” Dean said.

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Dynamic Business is Australia’s best-loved small business resource dedicated to providing entrepreneurs, start-ups and business owners with the very latest information and advice on how to start, manage and grow a business.

Published as a hard copy magazine from 1995-2012, and as a website since 2002, Dynamic Business has proven itself to be Australia’s most respected small business news source.